January 17, 2007

According to a story in today’s Post, British financial giant Barclays will be paying an as-yet unspecified massive sum (“hundreds of millions of dollars”) for naming rights to the Nets’ new Brooklyn arena. They’re calling it the most expensive stadium deal in the country. Presumably, this would be part of a planned Barclays business expansion into the New York area – I mean, hardly anyone in New Jersey pays attention to the Nets, so I can’t imagine they have a ton of name recognition in Europe.

While I don’t still don’t like corporate stadium names, it’s hard to begrudge the Nets a cash influx; the team has been gushing money, despite their recent playoff runs. Of course, I still don’t like the Atlantic Yards project itself, either… but that’s another story.

In other stadium news, Buster Olney reports that Yankee Stadium will host the All-Star game in 2008, the last year of its existence (the Stadium’s, that is, not the All-Star game’s. Sadly). I’m pleasantly surprised by MLB’s decision to honor the old building rather than waiting a few extra years to pimp the new one, but brace yourselves: by that time we’re all going to be desperately sick of Stadium nostalgia. In fact, Mets fans might want to consider leaving the tri-state area for a few years.